Railway Minister dismisses the retention of Waltair division in Vizag

Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has dismissed the prospect of retaining Waltair division in Vizag. Addressing media persons in the city on Tuesday, Goyal said that there was no need to retain the division in the recently announced South Coastal Railways (SCoR) as Visakhapatnam would the headquarters of the zone and calls can be taken directly from the city.

The Railway Minister further informed that the new zone in Visakhapatnam would be set up on a fast track mode and an OSD officer had been appointed for the same.

On 27 February, the centre had announced a railway zone to Andhra Pradesh. Announcing that the new railway zone will be named as South Coastal Railway (SCoR), Goyal confirmed that the headquarters will be established in Visakhapatnam. It was further stated that the zone will comprise the existing Guntakal, Guntur, and Vijayawada Division.

It was also announced that the present 125-year-old Waltair division will be divided into two parts. While one part would be incorporated in the new SCoR and will be merged with the neighbouring Vijayawada division. The remaining portion, on the other hand, shall be converted into a New Division with headquarters at Rayagada under East Coast Railway in Odisha.

The centre’s decision to bifurcate the Waltair division has not gone well within many quarters in Visakhapatnam. Citing that the division has been the heritage for Vizag for long, numerous political groups and unions have been demanding the centre to retain Waltair division in Vizag.